Ironing machine



June 17, 1941. L lc momma MACHINE Filed April 23, 1936 4 Shets-Sheet 1rolayafizwfe W 9 aggy June 17, 1941. H. L. FRI CK IRONING MACHINE FiledApril 23, 1936 4 Shqets-Sheet 2 Q AN \wm MN km. a QN .k sw

. ENS

alada June 17, 1941. H. L. FRICK IRONING MACHINE Filed April 23 1936 4Sheets-Sheet 3 QWzz/emtw r Patented June 17, 1941 IRONIN G MACHINEHarold L. Frick, Chicago, Ill., assignor to H. L. F.

Appliance Corporation,

tion of Illinois Chicago, Ill., a corpora- Application April 23, 1936,Serial No. 75,914

14 Claims.

My invention relates to ironing machines, and more especially, althoughnot necessarily, to ironing machines of types suitable for domestic use.

Among the objects of my invention are: an ironing machine combining theadvantages of both the presser type and the mangle type (I use mangletype in its current trade meaning of an ironing machine of theroller-and shoe type); an ironing machine which may, at the will of theoperator, be operated either as a non-feeding presser type or as anautomatic feeding type; an improved automatic feed ironing machine; anautomatic feed ironing machine which, for its ove all dimensions,presents a relatively flat or but slightly crowned working surface, asdistinguished from the highly arcuate working surfaces of the usualcomparable mangle type; improved mechanism for moving the shoe into andout of contact with the buck, and also an improved combined control formoving the shoe and starting or stopping the feed; an ironing machineautomatically feeding the work without ing wrinkles in multi-ply work,and in general a simpler, more economical and more rugged constructionfor ironing machines.

The foregoing together with further objects, features and advantages ofmy ironing machine are set forth in the following description of aspecific embodiment thereof, which is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view looking from the right end, showing myironing machine with its table extended for working position;

Fig. 2 is a more or less diagrammatic transverse section through thetable or cabinet for my ironing machine, showing the cabinet portionclosed:

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section through my ironing machine takenalong the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical section taken on the line 44 of Fig.3:

Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 are diagrammatic views comparable with the upperright-hand portion of Fig. 3 and showing the buck in four successivepositions represented by 90- progressions oi the eccentric drive shaft;

Fig. 9 is a plan section on the line 9 9 of Fig. 3 or Fig. 4;

Fig. 10 is a vertical section of a clutch taken on the line Ill-40 ofFig.

Fig. 11 is a vertical transverse section through the gear case taken onthe line HH of Fig. 9;

Fig. 12 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line |2-l2 of Fig.9; and

accumulat- Fig. 13 is a circuit diagram showing, as a modification, areversible motor and reversing switch therefor.

Referring to Fig. 1, my ironing machine unit indicated generally as iiis mounted upon a suitable supporting cabinet which may convenientlycomprise a table I8, legs 1, a fixed back wall l8 and hinged front andend walls I! which may be swung out to horizontal position coplanar withthe table ii for the working position of Fig. 1, or which may be foldedup into vertical-position as indicated in Fig. 2 for enclosing the unitin a cabinet-like structure. A top 20 with downward marginal flanges 20'may be used as a closure for the cabinet with the flanges 20' holdingthe upturned sides and ends IS in position for storage as in Fig. 2. Inthis way the ironing machine may serve as a kitchen table when not inuse. The cover 20 may conveniently be stored at the back as shown inFig. 1 when the cabinet is open for use.

In generalmy ironingmachine unit comprises a base 2! secured to thetable IS, a buck 22. a shoe 23, a gear case 24 beneath the table planefor housing the control mechanism, and a driving motor 25.

The buck 22 comprises a frame 26 having thereabove a. pad .21 and afabric covering 28 secured at its margins, as by a drawstring, abouterside of the margin of the plate portion of the frame 26. The buckframe 26 is connected through vertically arranged resilient mounting ofthe gear case taken members 29 with the horizontal arms-i0 of floatingbearings 3|. Somewhat similarly the arms erably below and in alignmentwith the respective members 29.

Although I contemplate that the resilient mounting members 29 and 33 maybe helical wire springs, for example, I prefer that they take the formof rubber rods. They may conveniently be attached at their ends byscrews or studs threaded into short bushings embedded in the rubber atthe nds of the rubber rods, as shown in Fig. 3.

are four sets of resilient mounting members 29-33, one at each end ofthe arms 30 on the floating bearings 3!. The two bearings 3i arepreferably beneath the longitudinal median line of the buck 22 andequally spaced from its transverse center, as shown in Fig. 4.

Each floating bearing 3| receives an eccentric end 34 of a buckoscillating shaft 35 which is journaled in a pair of fixed like webportions 31'of the base 2|.

bearings 36 in bridge- The shaft 35 carries a pulley 38'driven by a belt88 from the gear case 2|, as will later be described.

As will be seen from Fig. 3, the top surface of the buck 22 is slightlycrowned and the underface of the shoe 23 is similarly conformed. Theshoe 23 is preferably a casting having electric heating strips N in heatconducting contact with the upper side of the shoe casting. The strips48 are arranged longitudinally of the shoe, one toward the front edgeand one toward the back edge. The shoe carries plate II with the spaceenclosed by the cover and shoe casting filled with insulating material82.

For holding the heating strips 40 in firm heatconducting contact withthe shoe 28 I provide a set of four longitudinally spaced retainingclips 44 which extend transversely of the shoe. At its mid-portion eachclip is secured to a boss 45 on the shoe by means of a combined cap andsocket screw. The opposed ends of each retaining clip bear against therespective heating strips 40. Cap screws 41 threaded into the socketportions of the cap screws 45 in turn hold the cover plate 42 inposition.

The shoe 23 is supported by an arm 48 of channel cross section. The shoeis attached to the forward end of the arm 48 by cap screws 48 threadedinto suitable bosses in the shoe. The arm 48 extends rearwardly and thendownwardly to a flxed pivot 58 on a rearward extension of the base 2|.The arm 48 extends downwardly beyond the pivot 58 as an extension l8.For counter-balancing the weight of the arm 48 and the shoe about thepivot 581 provide a tension spring horizontally disposed andconveniently housed within a semi-cylindrical hollow rib 52 formed inthe base 2|. The forward end of the counter-balancing spring 5| isanchored to a hook-like projection or lug 53 extending on the base II.The rearward end is attached through an adjusted threaded connectingstud 54 to the extension 48' of the arm.

For swinging the arm 48 to move the shoe H from its working position ofFig. 3, I employ a pitman 55 extending between a pivot 56 on the armextension 48' and the offset or crank portion 51 of a shoe-operatingshaft 58. In the position illustrated in Fig. 3, the shoe is down andthe crank 51 is in dead center relation to the pivot 56 and the shaft58, and on the arm side of the shaft.

It will be seen in either direction,

that when the shaft 58 is swung, through 180 degrees, to bring the crank51 in dead center relation on the other side of the shaft 58, the armwill be rotated counterclockwise and the shoe thrown to its upper oropen position. Conversely, when the shaft 58'is again rotated another180 degrees to return the crank 51 to the position of Fig. 3, the arm isswung clockwise to bring the shoe to its closed or working position ofFig. 3.

While I contemplate that the shoe-operating shaft 58 may be turnedmanually to effect the movement of the shoe-in which case the shaftwould preferably be mounted farther forward then shown in Fig. 3, formore convenient manipulationf prefer to operate the shaft by power. butunder the control of the operator.

For the power operation of the shaft 58 as here shown, I journal theshaft 58 in the respective sides of the previously mentioned gear case28. A gear 59 is rotatably mounted on the shaft 58 and within the gearcase 24. The gear 59 is a stamped sheet metal cover driven by a pinion68 flxed'on a power shaft 6! also journaled in the gear case 24 andhorizontally disposed parallel with the shaft 58. The power shaft 6iprotrudes outwardly of the gear case where it carries a pulley 62 driventhrough a belt 53 by the previously mentioned electric motor 25.

A sliding clutch member 65 is splined to the shaft 58 and carries steepsided two-way clutch teeth 66 which engage mating teeth 61 on the clutchmember 88. which constitutes the hub of the gear 59. A compressionspring 69 normally urges the clutch member 65 into engagement with thehub clutch member 68.

Radially beyond the clutch teeth 66 and somewhat backwardly therefromthe sliding clutch member 65 carries a cam face ill having a pair ofdiametrically opposed high points iii-a and having a pair ofdiametrically opposed low points Iii-b displaced therefrom. This camface 18 is adapted to cooperate with the lower end of a square bolt II,which is mounted. somewhat after the manner of a latch bolt, forvertical reciprocation in bearings 12 extending inwardly from the shellof the gear case 24 (Fig. 11).

Lifting of the bolt 1 I, which permits re-engagement of the clutch torotate the shoe-operating shaft 58 through is provided by a horizontallydisposed control shaft 13 arranged at right angles to the shafts 58 andill, but likewise journaled in the gear case 24. The control shaft 13protrudes forwardly from the gear case Fig. 3) and is additionallysupported by a bearing bracket ll depending from the base 2i. Forwardlyof the bearing 14 the control shaft 13 carries an arm constituting aknee pad I5 which is presented at the left side of the left knee whenthe operator is seated at the ironing machine.

Referring again to Fig. 11, an outward swinging of the knee pad 15 bythe operator's knee turns the control shaft 13 counterclockwise (itbeing remembered that Fig. 11 is taken on the line ll--l| of Fig. 9 andlooking forward). Through a reversing link 16 this imparts a clockwiserotation to a bellcrank 11, which is mounted on a stationary pivot pin18 on the interior of the gear case.

The bellcrank 11 pivotally carries a trip finger 19 whose protrudingend-upon clockwise movement of the bellcrank-engages a shoulder 88 onthe cam bolt Ii, forcing the latter upwardly until its lower endradially clears the high point IO-a of the cam face 10 of the slidingclutch member 65, whereupon the clutch spring 69 shifts the slidingclutch member 65 to the right, carrying its clutch teeth 66 intoengagement with the mating clutch teeth 61 of the hub 68 of the gear 58.The rotating gear 59, being then engaged with the shaft 58, swings itscrank 51 through 180 to actuate the shoe, as previously described.

The end of the trip finger 19 will ride off the shoulder 88, leaving thecam bolt ll free to descend under gravity or a convenientspring. If theoperator's knee pressure on the knee pad should be relinquished at anytime and the cam bolt 1! should be in the path of the return swing ofthe trip finger 19, then the trip finger may rock about its pivotalmounting 19' on the bellcrank 11 to foreshorten it temporarily until itcan pass to its normal position beneath the shoulder 80. A coil spring8| (Fig. 3) urges the shaft 13 to its normal position.

As the driven clutch member 65, upon being engaged with the clutchmember 68 which constitutes the hub of the gear 59, is rotated throughits 180 of movement to swing the shoe, the lower end of the cam bolt llrides upon the circumference of the clutch member 65 until it reachesthe low point IO-b of the cam face of the clutch member 55. There thecam bolt drops down and as the clutch member 85 continues to rotate, thelateral face of the cam bolt ll rides along the inclined cam face 18until the high point la, diametrically opposite the starting point, isreached. At that point the inclined cam face 18 will have pushed theclutch teeth 88 completely out of engagement with the clutch teeth 69,arresting further rotation of the shaft 58.

For holding the shaft 58 in its diametrically opposed alternatepositions corresponding to the up position and the down position of theshoe, I provide a spring-pressed ball detent 82 working in diametricallyopposed depressions 83 in the shaft 58.

Having described the operation of the automatic power mechanism for thelifting and lowering of the shoe,'I shall now describe the control forthe power drive of the buck.

Referring to Fig. 12, which it will be remembered is a view lookingforwardly of the ironing machine and taken on the line |2-I2 of Fig. 9,further swinging of the knee pad 15 beyond that required for theoperation of the clutch control mechanism to swing the shoe to its downposition, will impart further counterclockwise (Fig. 12) rotation to theshaft 13. The initial rotatiomof the shaft 13 will have carried a crosspin 84 through the few degrees of lost motion provided by a diametricalshaft 85 in the hub of a clutch fork 86. The clutch fork 88 engages theball race ring of a sliding clutch member 81 splined to a sleeve 88 inwhich in turn is journaled the inner end of the shaft 6| which carriesthe pinion 58 and which is driven by the outside pulley 62. The conicalclutch member 8'! cooperates with a friction lined clutch member 89which is carried by the pinion 58 and secured thereto by the cross pin90 which passes through the hub of the clutch member 89, through thepinion 60 and through the shaft 6| whereby they rotate as a unit. Thesliding clutch member 81 is normally urged out of engagement with itsmating clutch member 89 by a clutch spring 9| surrounding the shaft 6!and interposed between the clutch members. After swinging of the kneepad has taken up the lost motion afforded by the slot 85 (Fig. 12), thecontinued swinging of the knee pad causes the clutch fork 88 to pressthe sliding clutch member 85 against the pressure of the spring 9! andinto engagement with the remaining clutch member 89, whereupon thesleeve 88 is driven by the shaft 6|.

The outer end of the sleeve 88 is journaled in a suitable bearing in thegear case 24 and protrudes outwardly of the gear case as a reduced shaft82 carrying a small pulley 93. The pulley 93,, through the previouslymentioned belt 39- and pulley 38, drives the oscillating shaft foroscillating the buck.

The oscillation of the buck will presently be,

discussed. First. to summarize the operation of the control mechanism.suppose that the shoe is in its up or idle position. The operatorpresses her knee outwardly against the knee pad 15, the initial rockingof the shaft raises the cam bolt H to permit engagement of the clutchfor the down position. A continued outward movement of the operatorsknee in swinging the kneepad '15, after taking up the lost motion in theconnection of the shaft 73 with the clutch fork 86, engagestheclutchmembers 81 and 89 to drive the buck oscillating shaft 35through the belt 39. When the operator releases the knee pad, the returnspring 9! rocks the shaft I3 back to normal position, and in doing sopermits declutching of the clutch members 81 and 89, stoppingoscillation of the shaft 13. To raise the shoe the operator has to pushthe knee pad slightly again, to operate the cam bolt ll andinitiateanother 180 rotation of the shaft 58, which will raise the shoe to itsupper position.

If the operator wants to use the machine as a simple flat press ironwithout the automatic feed feature provided by the oscillation of thebuck by means of the shaft 35, then the operator would merely give theknee pad a quick push, sulficient to lift the cam bolt 1|, which wouldresult in the shoe being brought down on the buck. Then when theoperator wanted the shoe lifted. she would again give the knee pad 15 aquick push to lift the cam bolt 'H a second time, which would result inlifting the shoe.

I shall now discuss in greater detail the nature and function of theoscillation of the buck by the rotation of the shaft 35 by the belt 39.

The eccentric trunnion-like ends 34 of the shaft 35 tend normally toshift the floating bearings 3i-and hence the buck 22-through a circularpath whose radius is the radius of offset of the ends 34 from the bodyof the shaft 35. The compressibility and flexibility of the rubbersupporting post 33 would permit such a circular path for the buck.However,- the buck is so set in relation to the shoe that when work isbetween the buck and the shoe the actual path of the oscillation of thebuck is distorted out of a true circle. In the series of diagrammaticcross sections constituting Figs. 5 to 8, inclusive. I have shown theposition assumed by the buck in each of the four successive 90 arcs of acomplete rotation of the shaft 35. Starting with theeccentrictrunnionlike ends 34 of the shaft 35 in their lowermostpositions, which would give the greatest clearance between the buck andshoe, Fig. 5 shows shoe swinging mechanism. whereupon the shaft 58 isrotated through to move the shoe to its the position of the parts at theend of the first 90 of clockwise rotation of the shaft 35. At thatposition, depending to a certain extent upon the thickness of the fabricbeing ironed, the buck will have brought the fabric up into contact withthe shoe. During the following 90 of movement of the shaft, which bringsthe buck to its highest elevation of the cycle, the additional elevationof the floating bearings 3! will cause a compression of the partsbetween thefioating bearings and the shoe. The buck frame beingsubstantially rigid, this compression will take place partly in theresilient pad 21 of the buck, partly in the fabric being ironed andpartly in the rubber mountings 29. During the third quarter of the cycleof rotation of the shaft, leading to the position of Fig. 7, thecompression will be released and the parts will assume substantially thesame position, as regards elevation, as they did in Fig. 5. They will.however, be shifted forwardly, as compared with the position of Fig. 5,by a distance corresponding to twice the radius of eccentricity of theshaft 35. The radius of eccentricity is preferably an eighth of an inch.This gives a lateral (forward and backward from the standpoint of theoperator) shift of a fourth of an inch. Since the fabric being ironed ispressed against the shoe throughout substantially all of the upper halfof the circle of movement-that is, from the position of Fig. 5 to theposition of Fig. 'I-the shoe has a sliding ironing effect upon thefabric for about'a fourth of an inch, the pressure of the work againstthe shoe being at its maximum at the position of Fig. 6. In passing fromthe position of Fig. 5 to'the position of Fig. 7 the work is progressedforwardly about a fourth of an inch. Then in the last 90 of the circleof movement-from the position of Fig. '7 to the position of Fig. 8--thebuck is swung sharply downwardly away from the shoe, relieving allpressure between the work and the shoe.

Because the oscillating shaft rotates rapidly, the downward swing fromthe position of Fig. 7 down through the position of Fig. 8 and back tothe position of Fig. 5 is quite sudden relative to the inertia of thefabric being ironed. For this reason the buck is pulled downwardly andshifted back to its rearward position of Fig. 5 much faster than theinertia of the fabric being ironed will permit the fabric to follow.Consequently the fabric remains practically motionless during the backstroke of the buck and is moved by the buck only during the forward orironing stroke in passing from the position of Fig. 5 to the position ofFig. '7. In this manner the work is progressed through the machineabouta fourth of an inch upon rotation of the shaft. The speed of the shaftis preferably such as is calculated, at a fourth of an inch perrotation, to progress the work at about the same speed at which work isprogressed through the conventional mangle type ironing machine ofcomparable capacity.

When the conventional mangle is ironing multi-ply work, the continuousoperation of the roll against the shoe tends to cumulate any relativeshifting of the plies and thereby build up sizable wrinkles. Thisfrequently occurs on collars and cuffs. In my ironing machine, whenoperated automatically to progress the work, I avoid the building up ofsuch wrinkles. While in any given fourth inch of ironing in the courseof a single rotation of the shaft there may be a slight relativeshifting of the piles, that shifting is not cumulative. This is becausethe buck is pulled away from the shoe and from the work and is thenreengaged with the work and shoe. This virtually intermittent ironingnot only does not cumuiate any such wrinkling or shifting of the piles,but tends to iron out in the succeeding ironing interval any slightstart toward wrinkling which may have developed in the precedinginterval.

The resiliency of the four sets of rubber supporting members 29, 33,serves to allow within reasonable limits 9. universal rocking of thebuck relative to the shoe at all times during the cycle. This togetherwith the resiliency of the pad 21 compensates for unequal thicknesses ofthe work being ironed and for instances where the work is largely in oneside or one end of the buck.

At any time when the character of the work being ironed changes from onewhere an automatic feed is most desirable to one where a simple pressingoperation is most desirable, it is a simple matter for the operator, bymanipulation of the knee pad, to change over to a simple fiat pressoperation and then back to the automatic feed operation. This may evenbe done conveniently for different parts of the same garment beingironed as, for example, as between the body, skirt and sleeves of adress and the collar and trimming. Frequently it becomes desirable toiron with an automatic feed those parts of a garment which are more orless on the straight of the goods, but to use the simple flat pressironing operation on those portions which come on the bias of the goods.My machine makes this feasible and very convenient.

On a mangle, or on my machine when operated with the continuous feed, itoften happens that as a garment is fed into the iron a button orornament will be caught by the shoe and be torn off or broken. With mymachine it is conveniently possible for the operator, upon seeing such abutton or ornament coming to the shoe, to release the knee pad and stopthe automatic feed operation and move the work far enough on to the buckto get the button or ornament past the edge of the shoe, perhaps usingsimple flat pressing for an inch or two, and then continue the automaticfeed operation.

I have illustrated and described my ironing machine as progressing thework forwardly toward the operator. That is, the work is fed to the rearof the buck and is delivered at the front of the buck. I consider thispreferable in most instances because the finished work may convenientlybe received into the operator's lap and folded or otherwise disposed ofas received, without being confined by the shoe supporting arm 48. It isnot so serious if the unironed portionof the work which lies behind thebuck is thus confined. However, I contemplate that if it is desired, thework can be fed in the opposite direction, that is, from the front tothe rear, as is done with the conventional mangle. This may be done.bythe simple expedient of making the motor a reversible motor andproviding a conveniently located reversing switch, as diagrammed in'Fig.l3.

For driving out of the pad moisture which would otherwise accumulatetherein, I prefer to provide a heating element 84 in the frame of thebuck immediately beneath the pad 21. If the work is fed from the back tothe front, the heating element 94 would be located toward the rear edge.If the work is fed from the front, then it should be provided toward thefront edge of the buck. Where a reversing switch is provided for themotor, whereby the work may be progressed in either direction, I preferto provide the heating element N in both positions, as shown in Fig. 3.In such instance, both heating elements 94 may be operatedsimultaneously. If desired, however, the electrical connections for theheating elements 94 may be so arranged in connection with the motorreversing switch that when the reversing switch is set to progress thework forwardly the current passes through the rearward heating element94, and when the switch is set so that the work is progressed rearwardlythe current will pass through the forward heating element 94.

It will be noted that the control, clutch and operating parts of thepower lift for the shoe is so arranged that it permits operationregardless oi the direction of rotation of the power shaft 6|. This isdone to allow for reversing the motor to revers the direction of feed ofthe work being ironed.

For concealing the operating parts beneath the buck and protecting theoperator therefrom, I prefer to provide a peripheral skirt 95 extendingupwardly from the base 2i and a skirt 9B depending from the buck andtelescoping with the upper end of the skirt 95 in such a manner as toleave room for the forward and backward movement of the buck. Inaddition, I may add at the front and work from dropping down whenthebuck is carried downwardly and rearwardly in the return strokepart ofits cycle. 7

The motor 25, the gear easel, the bracket 14 for supporting the shaft13,]and the knee pad 15 are all secured to or depend'from the undersideof the base 2!, The buck 22' and the shoe and its arm 48 arezmounted ontheupper side of the base. Consequently, by renioying the anchor boltswhich hold the base to'the table I, the entire mechanism :may be removedas a unit for repair or replacement, and whenf'thus removed the tablwith its sides and top jla may stillbe used as a kitchen table. The has.12] is anchored to the table It through rubbericus'hioning pads ll, asshown in Fig. 3, so that vibration'is not imparted to the table. J

I might explain further injfreference to the press type of operation ofmy? ironing machine,

that the fact that the eccentric carrying shaft may stop at the positionwher'the buck would be down, is of no" serious consequence. This isbecause the effect of the rubber posts is to urge the buck again to itshighest -position. Since the clutch would be disengagediwhen the machinewas used for simple flat pressing, the rubber posts would push the buckto its upper position. In this way it would be at the rightielevationfor engage! ment by the shoe in simple flat pressing.

While I have disclosed these specific embodiments of my invention, Icontemplate that many changes and substitutions. may; be made withoutdeparting from the scope andgspirit of my invention. 'I

Iclaim: f1

1. An ironing machine corn" rising a shoe member and a buck memberhaving mating surfaces, power driven mechanism tending to oscillate oneof the members in a circular path, whose axis is parallel with themating surfaces of the shoe and buck, and resilient means operativelyinterposed between the oscillating mechanism and the mating surface ofthe oscillated member yielding to compression of the oscillated memberagainst the other member for modifying the path of the one member out ofthe said circular path into a path flattened when the surface of theoscillated membeer is advanced toward the mating surface of the othermember.

2. An ironing machine comprising a buck having a working surface, powerdriven means for moving the buck in a normallycircular path at a radius,in the order of one-eighth of an inch, about an axisilongitudinally ofand parallel with the working surface of the buck, a heated shoe havinga working surface for mating that of the buck, suppotting means formoving the shoe from a closedposition superposed upon the buck inworking relation thereto to; an open position exposing the thick forplacement ofwork thereon, and resilientelmeans operatively interposed between the oscillating means and the working surface of the buck andyielding, as the path of the buck approaches the shoe in its closedposition, to flatten the normally circular path in the phase whereclosest to scribed.

3. An ironing machine comprising a heated the shoe, for the purposedetion. a buck positioned therebeneath with a work.

ing surface in ironing cooperation with the shoe,

. a shaft journaled beneath and longitudinally of the back, an eccentricon the shaft, the buck having a bearing for the eccentric whereby theeccentric tends to shift the buck about a circular path, and resilientmeans operatively interposed between the bearing and the. workingsurface of the buck and yielding to compression of the buck against theshoe-to flatten the circular path.

4. An ironing machine comprising a heated shoe, means for holding theshoe in fixed position,

a buck having a padded working surface for ironing' cooperation with theshoe, a relatively fixed base, a plurality of resilient supports for thebuck extending between the base and buck, each resil ient support havingan upper and a lower portion,

-. a pair of rubber posts disposed on each side of the longitudinalvertical center plane of the buck and interposed between the buck andbase for supporting the buck, a shaft journaled on the base and disposedlongitudinally of the buck between the pairs of posts, power means fordriving the shaft, a manual control for the drive means, and a pair oflongitudinally spaced bearings eccentrically mounted on the shaft, theopposite ends ofeach bearing being interposed between upper and lowerportions of posts of the respective pairs.

6. An ironing machine comprising a heated shoe, a base, means forholding the shoe in working position and moving it to and from'anupperopen position, a buck, means for resiliently supporting the buck fromthe base and beneath the working position of the shoe for ironing cooperation therewith, a rotary shaft journaled 0n the base beneath the buck,and an eccentric on the shaft, means connecting the eccentric and buckfor shifting the buck back and forth and to and from the shoeintermittently to iron and progress the work.

7. An ironing machine comprising a heated shoe, 9. base, means forholding the shoe in working position and moving it to and from an upperopen position, a buck. means for resiliently supporting the buck fromthe base and beneath the working position of the shoe for ironingcooperation therewith, a rotary shaft journaled on the 1 base beneaththe buck, an eccentric on'the shaft,

means connecting the eccentric and buck for shifting the buck back andforth and to and from the shoe intermittently to iron and progress theshoe, means for holding the shoe in fixed posiwork, and skirts risingfrom the base and depending from the buck respectively in substantiallytelescoping relationship for enclosing from the operator the shaft,eccentric and supporting means.

8. An ironing machine comprising a base, means for mounting the base ona table, a shoe disposed forwardly of the base and pivotally mountedonthe base rearwardly thereof, a motor suspended from the base below thetable, manually controlled means driven by the motor for swinging theshoe from a lower ironing position to an upper open position andincluding transmission means suspended from the basebelow their table, abuck resiliently supported from the base beneath the working position ofjournaled on the the shoe, a shaft 11 base beneath the buck and abovefor driving.

the shaft from the motor including. transmission means suspended fromthe base below the tables and means beneath the buck and driven by theshaft for shifting and to and from the shoe for intermittently ironmgand progressingthe work. i

the buck laterally of the shoe,-

'9. An ironing'machine comprising .a heated shoe, a base, means forholding the shoe in working position and moving it to-and from an;uppe,r

open position,a-buck', means for resiliently supe, v buck from: thebase-and beneaththe:

working position of the shoe for ironing cooperporting the' ationtherewith,arotary shaftiournalled onthe base beneath the buck,aneccentric on the shaft, 4

means connecting the eccentrio andbuck ion;

shifting the buck the shoe intermittently to ironand progress, the

work, and a guard'rising from the base annex tending outwardly of thebuck. at the work-receive ing edge'the're'of at a level above.

ofthe working 'surface'ofthe buck initsmovee; 'the shoe; :for aiding in,strip:

ment to and from ping the work from the-buck as the buck descends.

' 10. An ironing machine. comprising 7 a; shoe a buck, power drivenmeans for-moving the shoe from an open position to ae working positionin ironing cooperation with 'thebuck, power driven means for-shiftingthe buck against the shoe and alternately relieving pressure and backshifting the shoe, at high frequency-intermittently to iron and progressthe work across-the shoe, and a manually operated lever upon its initialmovement initiating operation of theshoe moving means and upon' furthermovement initiating operation of the buck shiftingmeans.

11. An ironing machine comprising ,a lower buck, a heated upper shoe,.means for supporting the shoe for swinging downwardly fromian openposition into a closed position forcsimple flatironing cooperationwiththebuck, means for sup,- porting thebuck for said cooperation andmeansfor optionally -holdingthe shoe in its closed position'and gyrating thebuck-relative theretorin a the lowest-level porting-the buck byaforwardironing action to progress 2o back and forth and to and from work undergravity without pression relief.

. 12. ,An ironing machine comprising a lower buck, aheated upper shoe,means for supporting an open the shoe for swinging downwardly fromironing cooperation with the buck, means I for said cooperation, andmeans, subject to the control of the operator; for optionally noldingtheshoe gyrat'm he buck relative thereto in a high frequency cycle whi hcycle consists in frictional pressure between thebuck and shoeaccompanied ,work a short distance across the shoe in one direction,downward movement away from the upper member ,to-relieve the compressionand, while-relieved, horizontal backward movement shifting thelower'member in the opposite direction to return it, said downwardmovement and said back shifting being at such speed as not substantiallyto back shift the work.

l4. An ironing machine comprising a base, a shoe disposed forwardly ofthe base and pivotally mounted on the base rearwarclly thereof, a motorhigh frequency cycle which cycle consists in;frictional pressure betweenthe buck and shoe accompanied by a forward ironing action to propressthe work, followed by relief of the .compression at a speed fasterthan-thev fall-:of the laterally of the shoe and to and from the shoefor on the base, manually controlled means driven by the motor forswinging the shoe from a lower ironing position to an upper openposition and including transmission means supported on the base, a buckresiliently supported from the base beneath theworking position of theshoe, a shaft iournaled on the base beneath the buck, manuallycontrolled means for driving the shaft from the motor includingtransmission means supported by the base, and means beneath the buck anddriven by the shaft for shifting the buck intermittently ironing andprogressing the work. 1 HAROLD L. FRICK.

substantial progress or backshifting of the work during the corn-ff;

in its closed position and

